Walk the Hospice Trail for charity this month

Fundraising volunteers are being asked to take on a section of the Sussex Hospices Trail to help raise funds.

Participants are invited to join Friends of Sussex Hospices on Saturday, September 23, for the launch event of the Sussex Hospices Trail. To join in, simply get a team together to walk one stretch of the Sussex Hospices Trail, becoming part of a simultaneous relay to mark the official launch of the 200-mile route. All money raised will go to support Sussex hospices.

Those taking part can walk their chosen route at a pace that suits the participants.

To take part team leaders can sign up online for a one off fee of £80. This covers a team of up to eight walkers. The team then chooses one of the trail’s 26 walks and whether to raise money for Friends of Sussex Hospices or for a specific Sussex hospice.

Before the day each team will have downloaded the iFootpath app and also downloaded their chosen walk.

The Sussex Hospices Trail has taken two years to develop. The Trail is unique to Sussex and the UK’s only permanent long distance footpath dedicated to raising awareness the work of hospice care providers.

Kathy Gore OBE, chair of Friends of Sussex Hospices, said: “Our ‘Walk the Hospice Trail’ event will see all twelve Sussex hospice areas connected on 23rd September by teams of walkers. Some will be walking to raise funds for their local hospice, some will be walking in memory of a friend or family member they hold dear, and some will be walking simply to enjoy our beautiful Sussex scenery. Whatever their reasons for walking we hope that every step will raise awareness of the vital role of the hospice movement.”

Alison Sampson, who is taking part in the Walk the Hospice Tail event, said: “We are a group of nurses from both St Michael’s Hospice and from District Nursing and we are delighted be able to help raise vital funds that will benefit the many patients and families we are privileged to look after.”

The event will raise money for St Wilfrid’s in Chichester, Chestnut Tree House, Demelza, Hospice in the Weald, Leo House at Home, Martlets in Hove, St Barnabas in Worthing, St Catherine’s in Crawley, St Michael’s in St Leonards, St Peter & St James in North Chailey, St Wilfrid’s in Eastbourne and the Sussex Snowdrop Trust which is based in Walberton.

Sue Korman, who devised the Trail for Friends of Sussex Hospices, said: “Creating this new Trail has been an exciting project. From the start we have had the most incredible support from so many people across the county. Just download the iFootpath app then download the walk you have chosen. If you follow your exact location on the live map as you walk - you can’t go wrong!”

Visit www.hospicestrail.co.uk/register-your-team/ for more details and to register a team. Find out more at www.hospicestrail.co.uk.

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